Underlying Philosophy
Nothing quite compares to the pride that can be felt when receiving a hard-earned reward. That feeling is doubled when the reward is an academic diploma, and that feeling of pride is immeasurable when you receive a Ph.D. or M.S. degree from the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University.
To achieve such a goal, one must travel down a long road of challenges and overcome several obstacles. One such obstacle is the pressure for high academic achievement which may come from family, peers, scholarships, and our own personal desire for high grades and a promising career.
Yet, above all other pressures, we must strive to behave with personal integrity and honesty and to encourage our peers to do the same in all our endeavors, especially our scientific and academic endeavors.
Chemistry Department Policy
The Department of Chemistry takes scholastic dishonesty very seriously. Typical sanctions taken for those who commit acts of academic dishonesty range from receiving an unsatisfactory grade in a course to expulsion from the University. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated for any reason regardless of other successes in completion of degree requirements or personal circumstances.
If a student is found guilty of academic dishonesty, the integrity of the student's research and other academic work becomes suspect. The foundation of a successful career in the sciences is the inherent trust between the researcher and the science community that the work performed is reliable, reproducible, and real. Any breech of this trust can have disastrous consquences.
The Chemisty department actively seeks to educate students in the ethical conduct of academic and research oriented science. Students are required to take CHEM:689 Ethics in Chemical Research and Scholarship, in the second semester of study and receive a copy during orientation week of "Academic Integrity: Aggie Rights and Responsibilities" produced by Student Conflict Resolution Services.
It is the student's responsibility to act in an ethical manner, it is not the faculty member's (or department's) responsibility to alert you that you may be committing a dishonest act. For specific information, read the sources listed or discuss the issue with your research advisor. This is especially important for international students who may not be familiar with academic practices in the United States.
Getting answers for assignments or exams from any unauthorized source.
Working with others when not authorized by the instructor.
Copying the work of others during an examination.
Providing Information
Providing answers to another student for an assignment or exam.
Revealing the contents of an exam to other students prior to an exam.
Plagiarism
Failing to credit sources in a work in order to claim it as one's own work.
Having someone else complete assigned work and then claim it as one's own.
Conspiracy
Agreeing with other students to commit scholastic dishonesty.
Fabrication of Information
Falsification of results from research or laboratory experiments.
Written or oral presentation of results from research which was never performed.
Violation of Policies
Violation of departmental or college policies including, but not limited to, abuse or misuse of computer access or information.
The Rights of Students Accused of Academic Dishonesty If you are accused of academic dishonesty, the courts have established that the following rights should be provided for every student in need of due process (Wood & Wood, 1996):
The Notice...
Includes the date, time, and place of the hearing.
Should be sent to the student in sufficient time to prepare an adequate defense. Two to 10 days is considered reasonable.
The Hearing...
May be open or closed.
Allows student the opportunity to examine charges, speak on his/her behalf, present evidence, and provide witnesses.
Is designed so burden of proof rests on the one bringing the charges.
Is designed so names of witnesses do not need to be revealed, providing that the accused student(s) claim responsibility or are able to prepare defenses without such knowledge.
The Decision...
May be reached on a preponderance of the evidence, a "more likely than not" basis.
Is based on the evidence that is presented during the hearing.
The Sanction...
Must be appropriate to the violation and "within reasonable and constitutional grounds." (Dixon v. Alabama State Board of Education, 1961, p. 157).
The Record...
Is a written documentation of the facts from the hearing, the conclusion made from such facts, and the sanctions which were assigned should be sent to the students promptly.
The Appeal...
Does not require a second hearing.
Is designed so the imposition of the sanctions should be suspended until the appeal is heard.
